A pet pig is being credited with saving its owners' lives during an early-morning fire Sunday in Mount Carmel, Illinois.

The family pig, named Lucky, jumped into action just after the fire broke out in a mobile home at about 4:40 a.m., NBC affiliate WFIE-TV reported.

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"He started screaming," homeowner Ina Farler said. "He would jump down, run to the door and then jump back up on the bed and hit me really hard. I sat up to see what was wrong with him, because he usually doesn't do that through the night. When I sat up, I realized the room was really smoky."

Farler said the heat from the fire was so intense that she knew she had to get out immediately. She was able to grab her two grandchildren with the help of a neighbor.

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The family is staying in a hotel while they figure out what they're going to do next, but they're feeling lucky that their pet pig was there for them.

"They're loving. They can be very protective, actually," Farler said of pet pigs. "He loves my grandkids to death."